Liquid-plow measurer and recorder.



2o mechanism which while bein j. .UNITED srArEs PATENT iloEEroE.

JAMES EDWARD LEA, or EAST RAND,'TRANSVAAL.

f/"iiillD-i-Low Mi-:Atleufnen AND noonosn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. rammed March 13,1906.

Application led FebruaryZS, 1,905. Serial No. 247,208.

To all who-m, it may concer-rb,-

Be it'lrnown that I, JAMEs-E'DWARD LEA, engineer, a British subject, residing at the Y East Rand, distri'ct of Witwatersrand, in the k wColony of the Transvaal, have invented new and usefulyImprovements in Li uid-Flow- Measurers and Recorders, of-which t efollowmg isa speclcation A This invention relates to the construction ro of apparatus for measuring and recording the quantityof a stream of liquid, such appara.

tus being of that class in which the liquid is passed over a Weir or through an orifice and the recording and measuring instruments are i i 5 so operated by'means of a float that the posiracy, and permits the correctness of the adjustment of the recording and indicating devices to be readily checked at any time. n

In the accompanyingn drawings, Figure I is a front and Fig. II a side elevation ofone 3o form of the improved mechanism. Figs. III

and IV are drawn to `an enlarged scale and illustratel details, the latter being a section upon 4 4, Fig. III. f

According to this invention the float-cham- 5 5 ber c is connected, by means of ,a pipe' b, with the Weir-box or its equivalent, so that the level of the waterin it is identical with that above the Weir or orifice. The float c, prevented rom turningin the chamber by the 4o guides (l, carries a vertical rod e, whereon is'v formed a rack f, meshing withA a toothed wheel g, iixed by a set-screw upon one end of a spindle 7i, carrying a drum i and supported horizontally in brackets j y', one of Which is 45 adjustable to prevent end play. The drum L is thus rotated directly in proportion to the variations inthe height of water above the weir, and in order to convert this movement into one corresponding with the variations in 5o the rate of flow of the liquid there is cut upon the cylindrical surface vof the drum a V- groove 7c, forming a helix which is of varying pitch except in the special case mentioned -below. The expanded form of the groove -is l 5 5 the curve obtained by-plotting heights ofthe liquidabove-the Weir as abscissae with their liorresponding rates of iiow as'ordinates, and

thus it varies according to the type of Weir- 4vnotch employed.

A rod lis arranged directly above the drum i and parallel to the axis thereof to slide freely in bearings m m. ,Upon it is detachably'xed a primary or transversely sti arm n, Figs. III and IV, having at its extremity a long and c ornparativell heavybearing o, in

which a V-shaped bloc p, fitting the groove'. 7c, is so journaled as to be capable of rotation about an axis radial to the drum fi. The armA n is substantially tangential to the drum, so

that the tangential pressure exerted by the oove upon the block p has no tendency to twist the rodZ and there .is no tendency to thrust the block p into orout of the groove.

The arrangement is such as to give atransmission of motion from the drum to the rod l attended by Vcomparatively little Jri'ction and to reduce play between the parts t'o a minimum. The Weight ofthe bearing. o'is usually suflicient to retain the block p in the groove 7c; but to guard against its accidental dislacement a. light ar'm q projects rearward om the rod Z and bears lightly against a retaining-guide r. lAlso clipped to the rod l is an auxiliary arm s, carrying apen t, adapted to describe a line upon the chart of a suitable recording instrument, such as a Bristol gage or the clockwork-driven cylinder shownL at u,

which is arranged to turn at a uniforira-te..

It ,will be evident that since the movements oi the pen t are directly proportional to the rate of flow over the weil' the area oi the diaing-eylinder will also beV exactly'proportional to the quantity passed, and thus its 'computation will be a very simple mattei'.

Forthe purpose of observing the rate of iow at any instant one edge of the groove lf: is

gram described upon the chart of the rccordscaled out-and properlyiigured and a pointer 11, Fig IV, projects Jfrom the arma toward the scale. The great length of the groove enables very accurate readings to be obtained by this means.` A second pointer w is detachably fixed to the top ofthe iloat-rod e and exhibitsupon a fixed scale the actual height' of liquid above the Weir. This scale is also employed in adjusting the zero positions of the other indicators as follows: The water above the Weir, and therefore that in the loatl chan'iber,having been brought exactly tothe zero level by means of a hook-gage or other- I wise, the pointer w is set opposite thc zero of the scale t When great precision is desirand meshing With the rack formed upon said able, a vernier is used instead of the pointer l w. rPhe set-screw securing the pinion g is thenslacked and the drum turned until the pointer 'v is above the zero on the drum-scale. A chart having been carefully 'fixed upon the cylinder u, the pen t is shifted upon its rod until it touches the zero-line of the card, and the adjustment is thereupon completed by tightening up all the tastenings." The correctness ofthe adjustment can be ascertained at any time by pressing down the float till the pointer w is at zero and noting the readings of the pointer u and the pen t,

l't to be understood that certain modiH cations of the apparatus .described may be made Without departure from the invention. For example, instead of the groove if a raised strip of similar shape may be formed on the drum, the block p being grooved accordingly, or the cylinder u, the rod` l, and the drum i may be set vertically, the latter being operated by bevel-gearing, or, again, when the float-chamber and the indicators are required to be at some distance apart the mechanism which transmits the motion of the float to the drum may be varied accordingly.

In the case Where the* stream is passed throu h a notch so shaped as to give an outflow directly proportional to the height of liquid above it no motion-rectifying mechanism is needed g but the present invention may still be advantageouslyemployed on account of the accuracy of the readings obtainable from the drum-groove, which in this case of course becomes a regular helix.

I claim as my inventionh l. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a support, of a float, a vertically-movable rod secured to said float, a rack formed upon the upper portion ol said rod, a `drum carried by said support, a toothed Wheel connected to said drum rod, a longitudinally-movable member provided With arms secured contiguous to said drum, a recording-cylinder secured contiguous to said longitudinally-movable member, a stationary scale formed upon said support7 and a detachable pointer secured to said rod contifruous to said scale.

2. n an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a support, of a drum and a stationary scale carried by said su port, a float-actuated, vertically-movable reg positioned upon said support, said rod adapted toimpart movement to said drum, a pointer positioned upon said rod contiguous to said Scale, a recording-cylinder carried by said support, and longitudinally movable members coacting with said drum andrccording-cylinderf 3. In an apparatus of the charactonrdescribed, the combination with a support, oi a float-actuated, movable red carried by said support, said rod provided with a rack, a i,

drum and a recording-cylinder carried by said support, said drum provided with a helical groove and said grooved portion provided With a Scale upon one side, a toothed wheel connected to said drinn and meshing with said rack upon the rod, indicating means formed upon said support and one end ol said rod, lengitudinally-movable arms secured continuous to said drum and cylinder, one of sai( arms provided with a pointer adapted to Work in the groove oi said drum. 4. 'In an apparatus of the clniractcr described, the combination with a support, of parallel, revoluble members carried by said support, one of said members provided with a scaled surface, a longitudinil. movable pointer enacting with said member provided with a scaled surface, recording means coacting with said pointer and one of said revoluble members, a stationary' scale formed upon said support, and a movable pointer coacting with said stationary scale and moving in timed relation to said revoluble member provided with a scale.

5. In an apparatus of the character de-' scribed, the combination of revoluble, parallel indicatin and .recording members, and longitudinal y movable means for indicating upon said indicating member and recording upon said recording member.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a su bport, of parallel, revoluble members carried by said support, longitudinallyemovable arms coactin With said revoluble members, and a slidabe float-actuated member carried by said i support and enacting Wi th one ot said revoluble members for imparting movement to said arms.

7. Iln an apparatus of the character dcscribed, the combination with a support, of a stationary scale and a revoluble member provided with a scale carried by said support, pointers moving in timed relation and registering upon said stationary scale and revolu ble member, and recording means coacting with said revoluble. member and pointers.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a sup'ort, of parallel, revoluble recording and inf icating surfaces carried by saidsupport, longitudinal movable arms carried by said su )port and enacting with said revoluble sui-laces, and lient-actuated means coacting with one of' said surfaces for imparting movement thereto and said arms.

9. In an apparatus of the character deseibed, the combination with a support, of parallel, revoluble indicating and recording siirtaces, a stationary indieating-surface carried by said support. longitudinallynnovable pointers carried by said support and concting with saidsurlaccs,,and slidable means provided with a pointer meeting with one oi' sai l surfaces and adapted io impart vmove- ICO ' tionary indicating-surf ace.

' tion of said rod, a removable pointer secured- 10.V ln -a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a support,` of Aa Adrum provided vWithra helical groove carried by said support, a longitudinal movable rod se curedparallel to said drum and carried by said support, a stationary scale secured t0 said sup-l port, a vertlcallyanovable, racked rod carried by said support, a toothed wheel connected to said drum and meshing With the racked por# to the upper portion of said rod and coa'cting with said stationary scale, a recording-cylin-A dery carried by said support, a primary-and an auxiliary arm secured to saidlongitudinelly-movable rod, Said primary arm provided with a Yblock positioned within the groove oi said drum, andsaid auxiliaryarm provided WithI a pen engagingthe recording' cylinder.

11. In a mechanism. 0i the class described,

thecombination with a support and a i'loat,v

of a slidable 'rod connected to said float, and

ositioned upon said support, drum carried by said support and coactingwith said rod a recordingfcyl'inder carried by said support, a pen coacting with said recordingcylinderI and means connected to said pen and adapted to travel longitudinally of said drum, when the drum is rotated. ,for causing said pen to travel longitudlnally of said" cylinder.

12. 1n an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a drum provided vvith a helicaligroove, a scale formed upon said drum, a recording-cylinder, a primary arm provided lwith a pointer, the

pointerworking in said groove ofthe drum, an

to travel in said groove for moving said arms. K

13.. In a device of the characterdescribed, the combination4 of revoluble, parallel indi cating and recording members, and movable means for indicating upon said indicating member. and recording upon said recording member,

y 14. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of revoluble, indicating and recordingmember's, and movable` means for indicating upon said indicating member and recording upon said recording member. Y

15. An apparatus of the character described, the' combination yof revoluble indicating and recording members, means traveling longitudinally of both of said members for indicating upon sai d indicating member andrecording upon said recording member.

In. testimony whereof I have signed this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.'

WILLIAM WELMAN VrNoENT, f

HAROLD. lllnrnrs'r` Ki'sorr. 

